Tag Archives: Laurence Olivier
Best Picture Revisited: Rebecca (1940)
By the forties, Alfred Hitchcock was the leading creative force on his films, mostly lightweight spy capers like The Lady Vanishes. He had signed a contract with David O. Selznick for a series of American movies, with larger budgets than his British work. But from the outset, he wrestled with Selznick over control: Hitchcock pushed […]
You’ll Never Be Hungry Again – Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait
I’m biased in my affection for actress Vivien Leigh. She lived a vibrant, but tragically short life, dying of tuberculosis at 53. With only 19 film credits to her name, she became an instant worldwide recognized star for her portrayal of Scarlett O’Hara in 1939’s Gone with the Wind, winning Best Actress. 11 years later […]
Best Picture Revisited: Hamlet (1948)
Many Best Picture winners from Casablanca to The Godfather now seem like obvious choices for the big award. How could the Oscars have dreamed of not awarding Lawrence of Arabia or On the Waterfront? In this column, we’ll revisit the other Best Pictures that aren’t as well-known. Have all the winners held up so well? […]
You gotta get a critic. 